Perfectly. I will not only defend my own God given life, but I will also defend my loved ones, and my neighbors. What greater love has mortal man than he (be willing) to lay down his life for his friends (and neighbors).
And I obey the command of Christ in Luke 22:36 Then he said to them, “But now, whoever has a purse, let him take it, and likewise a wallet. Whoever has none, let him sell his cloak, and buy a sword."
If you are not willing to defend your own life, does that mean you will not defend your wife's life? Or you children's lives? Or your grand children's lives? Or your neighbor's lives? How is that love, to stand by and allow them to be tortured, raped, and murdered?
Yours is a very weak argument using an isolated proof-text against a clear command by Christ. In His entire ministry, Jesus always emphasized loving your neighbor and even your enemy./ He also called for avoiding war to the extent Christians have the influence to do so.
[Mat 22:36-40 KJV] 36 Master, which [is] the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
"Jesus clearly taught that the world is a sinful and violent place. But he challenged his followers not to live in fear and trepidation: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul” (
Matt. 10.28). He also said: “I have told you all this so that you may find peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but be brave: I have conquered the world” (
Jn. 16.33).
What Does the Bible Say About Violence?
What Does the Bible Say About Violence? - Bible Gateway Blog
So where would we turn in the Scriptures for ways to deal with violence? What does Jesus want us to do about violence? What ought to leap to our minds is the beatitudes, which includes this real-life challenge: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” What can we do about violence? It must begin with a serious commitment to the principle: “blessed are the peacemakers.”
We don’t need vigilantes, we need vigilance. Followers of Jesus are called to do more than passively waiting for the next person to draw his gun. Our Lord and Savior commands us to close the gap with people rejected by others. To connect with the wounded before they lash out and wound others. To bring down the level of tension and stress around us by living in shalom.
In his book, The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer says: “The followers of Jesus have been called to peace. When he called them they found their peace, for he is their peace…. they are told that they must not only have peace but make it. And to that end they renounce all violence and tumult.”
John Stott, in his commentary on the Sermon on the Mount says, “Now peacemaking is a divine work. For peace means reconciliation, and God is the author of peace and of reconciliation.”